We have been following the refit / refurb of the Mason Clipper – Alibi at the Greg Lees Boa Builders yard at Sandspit.
Early this month ‘Alibi” came out of Lees shed after 5 months and slipped briefly into the water and out again on to the hardstand. The stern legs will be removed and serviced and painted along with engine servicing, some electrical work and general bits and bobs, this work will take a few months. We’ll keep you posted 🙂
(thanks to Mason Clippers fb for the photos)
CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
Put a ring around November 18th – for the Karapirp Classics – Off the water boat show followed by on the water activities, open to Classic and Wooden boats, Classic jet boats and home built boats of the 1960-70’s at the Horahora Domain – more details closer to the event.
I was poking around some old WW files and came across the above photo of the 1894 Logan built gaffer Waitangi, the photo is dated 1897 and shows her hauled out near the Logan yard in Devonport, Auckland.
The image was originally sent in by Keith Humphreys.
The colour photo I took back in Sept 2018, that is 121 year apart – most impressive.
In the WW story link below there is a video filmed by Roger Miles back in 2016, gives us a good insight into sailing Waitangi.
During the week I stumbled on a YouTube video on the Southern Woodenboat Sailing channel – this 11 minute video showcase the ex Tasmanian crayboat – Margaret Pearl.
Built in 1958, 60’ in length she was about to be dispatched to the landfill in Portland, located on the southwest coast of Victoria, Australia, when up stepped Jim and Sam Woods, who were brave enough to take on the restoration / conversion project. Whilst she sports a Tim Phillips designed rig, most of her use is under power at a steady 9 > 10 knots. The canvas does come out but I suspect its more for aesthetics 🙂
Have a watch and listen to Tim tells us about why he choose a wooden boat, where he found her and the work that went into her to get to the condition we see her in.
As a bonus Tim shares some sage advice for when considering taking on the restoration of any woody.
Enjoy – I did 🙂
Someone tell me this is a p_ss take. Spotted during the week at Half Moon Bay Marina. My 1st thought was it was a ‘mule’ for an electric propulsion experiment.
Over the last week I received several emails concerning the 40’ launch – Roamer that was on tme listed as ‘as is where is, any offers considered’. When had I had a look for her it was showing as withdrawn, so fingers crossed that a new owner was found. Roamer last appeared on WW back in July 2016 – link to the story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/01/roamer/
Roamer was built in 1911 in Ferrymead and has been modified multiple times over the years. Recently including a new cabin top to increase the height inside the main cabin. Repairs were done by Davie Norris Boatbuilders/Norris family over many years. The top photos show how it was in the water before she unfortunately sunk at the moorings 12/11/20. Since then she has been stored at Davie Norris Boatbuilders awaiting final repairs to make her watertight again. The engine, a Ford diesel had been serviced and ran. Unfortunately Davie passed away recently and the Norris syndicate who were looking after the Roamer were unable to keep her and get her back on the water. The tme listing was a shout out to locate a caretaker for her.
AUCKLAND’S WATERFRONT PINK ELEPHANT – THE PERCY VOS SHED
Nearly 8 months ago I asked WTF was happening with the Vos Shed, while strolling the waterfront yesterday I detoured to have a look – and, looking worse than ever – note the old newspapers on the windows 😦 Come on Auckland Council / Panuku – open the bloody doors.
Over the weekend Lake Rotoiti’s favourite boatbuilder – Alan Craig (Craig Marine) held an open day at his workshop in Paengaroa (Te Puke) , the first three photos above are from the day. The blue hulled launch in the first photo is the 1930 Sam Ford built launch – Marjorie Rosa in for deferred maintenance, will be looking shipshape again very soon.
A new convert to the wooden boating world is Geoffrey Fiebig, who recently purchased off Jason Prew a Frostbite named Meteor, sail #13. Geoffrey as you will see has started the thank less job of stripping the interior planks. 10/10 for attire, the new WW cap completes the look 🙂
30-05-2023 UPDATE – a nameless woody drew to my attention that many (30+) years ago a Tauranga newspaper article appeared about a young man/teen named Jason Prew who dragged Meteor out of a derelict shed on a lake and restored her to go sailing. Note the miss spelling of the surname Brew -see below
I was contacted last week by John Briers the ’newish’ owner of the 1926 Joe Slattery launch – Silver Spray.
Sliver Spay has made numerous appearances on WW – search her name in the WW search box to see / read more on her provenance.
John purchased the launch off boat builder Glen Burnnand, who gave her a serious birthday back in 2019.
The recent work at Glen’s Orakei Basin shed included upgrading the boats electrical battery systems, and she received several coats of varnish and repainting throughout, plus lots of other modifications.The mid term plan is to relocate Silver Spray to a new home in Russell, Bay of Islands, on a mooring in front of the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, that will be a nice addition to the vista from the house bar.
Silver Spray is powered by a Perkins 4108 and has a very impressive turn of speed for a 26′ woody.
I have to say that when John mentioned the recent work I was hoping the two ‘Haines Hunter’ cabin top windows (refer below) would have been replaced, never mind a wee job for the woody boys in Opua 😉
Recently I was sent a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Geographic magazine back in 2000 – in fact issue 45 , Jan-March. The article was headlined – GRACE UNDER FIRE, written by Vaughan Yarwood with supporting photos from the late Henry Winkelmann and more recent photos ex Hamish Ross and Paul Gillbert.
The stars of the article is the 42’ 1908 Logan built gaff rigged cutter – Rawene, and her then skipper Russell Brooke.
This is a brilliant insight into the early days of boating in and around Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, I’m sure there will be some mix ups re dates, skipper/craft names but overall we get to see and read the history of these magnificent craft, a lot of which are still sailing today.
Have a read, its only 10>15 minutes, longer if if you linger over the photos 🙂 – even a die-hard motorboat owner like myself found it a fascinating read.
The 1965 John Gladden ketch motor-sailer is one of those rare vessels that you have an immediate attachment to – it has everything it needs, in the right place and proportionally correct, which is hard for a designer to get right on a 36’ vessel. Her designer was a UK resident named Francis James. Her first owner Gordon Robertson, an engineer by trade and a very skilled amateur boatbuilder, had input in the finishing. All the cast bronze fittings throughout Taranui are impressive.
Built from kauri, carvel planked , Taranui has a 9’ beam and draws 5’. When the wind drops there is a 62hp Nanni Diesel engine, installed new in 2000 by the Salthouse yard. The eagle eyed will note that her name (big tern in maori) appears on her bow with a hyphen, this is a songwriters oops – its Taranui.
Stepping on board is a treat, she is a boat that you could easily call home for extended periods of time – in fact her owner of 26 years has been off shore 3 times (in Cat1 each time) – destinations being Tonga and New Caledonia. I’ll let Richard tell us about the trips.
“Our first trip to Tonga in 2000 was a wonderful family experience. We were there for 3 months with out 3 young children. Sailing back to NZ from Tonga was my first solo ocean trip, and Taranui proved herself to be a very easy boat to manage solo. I also sailed solo to New Caledonia and back to NZ twice. On one of these trips we spent many months living aboard with family and friends flying over to join us aboard. Taranui has also taken me on a solo 3 month trip around NZ, including Stewart Island were I was joined again by family and friends and got to explore most of the fiords. Other family cruises have been to the Marlborough Sounds and numerous excursions exploring the Northland coast and islands including Great Barrier and Coromandel. Taranui’s most recent voyage was a cruise from Auckland to the Bay of Islands and on to Whangaroa – skippered by my daughter and partner. We’ve had great fun with Taranui and been so lucky to own such a safe and comfortable ship”
WW was contacted by the Opua based boatbuilders – CMC Design with a heads up that the 1927 ex game boat Alma G II had arrived at their yard where Craig McInnes and his team will undertake the work. Projects of this magnitude are the norm for the team – the woodys Lady Crossley and Otehei being two examples.
Sian Steward at CMC Design supplied some wonderful insights into Alma G II’s provenance and the people that rubbed up against her – I’ll let Sian tell the story:
“The Alma G II was commissioned by E C Arlidge in 1927 to be built by Collings & Bell of St Marys Bay. Timed for Zane Grey’s second trip to New Zealand, Grey asked if the boat could be named after him. A familiar sight in the game fishing era alongside other classics such as the Alma G (another E C Arlidge boat, built in 1922), Manaaki (also owned by EC Arlidge for a period, later sold by the Arlidge Bros to Eric Sanderson of Whangaroa/ Totara North in 1932 for 172 pounds), Otehei and Lorna Doone. The sons of Ernest, Francis and Mervyn, known as ‘Arlidge Bros’ took to the family boating business around age 19 and were the original skippers of the Alma G and Alma G II respectively. Advertising them as the most ‘up-to-date boats in the Bay’ ‘being speedy and comfortable’ with all the latest fishing tackle and swivel chairs for deep sea fishing and available for ‘picnic parties’.
The boat was originally launched as the Zane Grey. Subsequently, rumour has it that Zane Grey and the Arlidges had a falling out, and the boat was renamed Alma G II around 1931.
The boat stayed in the Arlidge family for many decades until it was reluctantly let go around 1975. Dave Smith fully restored her, and she was relaunched in 1977as the Zane Grey. Most recently she was left to settle down the line in a paddock awaiting the moment where the new owner could tackle a large restoration project.
Tugging at the family history heartstrings, the Arlidge family had kept an eye on the happenings of the boat over the years and approached the recent owner to purchase her back into the family fold. They are now embarking on a restoration project with CMC Design to relive many childhood memories and get this family legacy ready to be enjoyed again by many more generations of the family.
The Arlidge family have kindly shared some of the classic photos of the Alma G II in the Bay of Islands. The Short Sunderland flying boat is dropping off some prestigious game fishing guests (many of whom were Arlidge Bros patrons over the years including Lady Ashley Dodd, the French flying ace Pierre Closterman, Zane Grey of course, his brother RC, and Carrie-Fin and Ham Guild as a few examples of the era).The story as far as we know for this photo is that it was the Admiral Earl and Lady Mountbatten on their visit in April 1956. In the photo with the black marlin is a young Mervyn Arlidge.”
We will follow this project and keep you updated.
Photos below are from previous WW stories where Alma G II has featured.
On Friday Chris McMullen dropped me a note to say the 34′ steam launch was now running and had just completed its first sea trial. Chris commented the boat is doing hull speed at about 150 PSI but the boiler should produce 250 PSI, but needs some adjustment as the smoke is as a result of the burner not working properly. The hull floats as per the design and the machinery is all working as it should.
I have included below links to past WW stories on the project. If you are time poor, the 2021 will give you an insight into the project.
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